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DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an investment advisor, nor am I registered as such. All opinions and thoughts are mine alone. Any stock mentioned in this article is solely based on performance to showcase for the purpose of the blog. Do not use this information to invest as it is not a recommendation nor a solicitation.
2020 has been a bat-shit crazy and unpredictable year filled with a lot of negativity, but what a wild few months it has been in the world of business. Between the coronavirus, the countries social climate, and political unrest, the stock market had ultimate highs and unsettling lows. It is always risky to invest in the stock market, even now more than ever. I have been investing in the stock market since 2016. After obtaining full-time employment after graduation in May of 2019, I began building my portfolio and using more disposable income to invest in stocks. When the market took a major blow at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I bounced on the opportunity to buy-low-sell-high.
I won’t get into how many shares I purchased, but I will share the company and why the stock might have risen, as well as when I purchased, for how much, and when I sold. Here were the big winners for me so far this year.
· $PENN (Penn National Gaming)
o Penn National Gaming owns and manages gaming and racing facilities as well as video gaming operations and casino gaming functions. The company purchased a stake in Barstool Sports during Q1, which caused an immediate rise in value. The stock halted and fell due to the closure of casinos during the quarantine. Once their properties began to reopen, and Barstool announced it is on track to still create their own sportsbook, the price of each share steadily rose.
§ Purchased: $4.16, third week of June
§ Sold: DID NOT SELL – The most recent high was $40.14, first week of June
§ % Increase per share: 864.9% (you read that right)
· $GRUB (GrubHub)
o GrubHub operates an online and mobile food ordering company, which was used heavily during quarantine by consumers. When news broke that Uber was considering acquiring its competitor, GrubHub's stock spiked.
§ Purchased: $30.32,
§ Sold: $70.06, second week of July
§ % Increase per share: 131.06%
· $LVGO (Livongo)
o Livongo Health engages in the development and operations of consumer digital health platforms. They provide cloud-based platforms to help improve the lives of people with chronic illnesses. Their Q2 revenue was over $10 million more than expected after the demand for remote care was needed because of quarantine.
§ Purchased: $25.10,
§ Sold: $93.76 – Currently $111.25 third week of July
§ % Increase per share: 275.04%
· $NKLA (Nikola)
o Nikola Corp. engages in the provision of zero-emissions transportation and infrastructure solutions. They design and manufacture battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles. Tesla has had major success in 2020, and Nikola rode that waves after they announced their eco-friendly truck line.
§ Purchased: $37.00
§ Sold: $93.13, second week of July
§ % Increase per share: 151.70%
· $PTON (Peleton Interactive)
o Peleton Interactive operates at home fitness platform for live and on-demand indoor cycling classes. While the gyms were closed and consumers received the government stimulus check, the company so a major increase in the purchase of their staple workout bike.
§ Purchased: $30.00
§ Sold: $69.25, second week of July
§ % Increase per share: 130.83%
· $MRNA (Moderna)
o Moderna engages in the development of transformative medicines based on mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid). They are in the works of developing the vaccine for COVID-19, and their first tests were successful.
§ Purchased: $35.00
§ Sold: $95.21, third week of July
§ % Increase per share: 172.02%
How did I capture this success in these stocks? I researched, researched, researched. I studied the company’s financial securities, I analyzed consumer trends, and I read relevant news. Being transparent, I was hoped in on the trends at the right place and right time. Luck was on my side. Investing in stocks, and landing big winners like above, is the equivalent of landing a 5 team parlay. The stock market is a hugeeeee gamble. I wouldn’t recommend entering without having done serious research. The smartest thing to do is to have multiple outlets of income, saving accounts with nice interest rates, mutual funds, ROTH IRA, and a 401k. Again, take these with a grain of salt. This is what I have picked up from the advice of my family, employers, mentors, and peers. Investing is a rush, but don’t do it without doing your homework.